Prophecy Today Weekend - December 7

Uh Welcome to Prophecy Today. I'm Jimmy DeYoung Jr., and along with Rick, my brother, we are going to examine current events in the light of God's prophetic word. There are not only people and nations that are listed in Bible prophecy, but world leaders are also mentioned in Bible prophecy. In Revelation 17, 17, God uses world leaders to accomplish his will. We've got a great program today.

We've got Ken Timmerman, David Dolan, Winky Madad, Paul Scharf, and R.C. Merle all coming to the program to talk to us about the times in which we are living. Rick, we've got to get started with our first Ken Timmerman.

So let's get started.

Well, that's right, Jimmy. I have Ken Timmerman with us. He is our expert when it comes to geopolitical affairs. His latest book, The Iran House, Tales of Revolution, Persecution, War, and Intrigue is out right now at Amazon.com. If you want to find out more about Ken or look at this book, you can go to his website as well.

Go to kentimmerman.com. Ken, thanks for being with us today. Thanks for having me on, Rick. It's always a pleasure.

Well, Ken, we'll start our look around the world right now with what is taking place in Syria. It's the top story in the world today, but it's a very complicated situation. I know of no one better to help explain it to us. Can you tell us what is going on in Syria?

Well, Rick, what's the old adage? Politics hates a vacuum. When Hezbollah was taken off the scene by a tremendous pounding that they received from Israel, which reduced their military capabilities and forced them into a ceasefire agreement that Iran backed, well, guess what? They had to withdraw some of their troops from Syria that were holding the line against the ISIS affiliates in the northern part of the country. That conflict had been on a slow simmer, if you wish, on the back burner for a number of years.

But ISIS has shown from its very inception in 2014, it can turn on a dime. They can move very, very quickly.

So we talked about this for the first time last week, and I said we needed to keep an eye on this conflict because they had swept through something like 60 towns and villages in just a couple of days last week.

Well, now they have taken Aleppo, Syria's second largest city. They're moving on Hama, the Fourth largest city, and from Hama, it's not that far down to Damascus.

So, this is a really serious escalation of the war. Hayat Tahrir al-Sham, the League group, it means the Organization for the Liberation of the Levant. The Levant is Syria and Lebanon, and also parts of Israel and Palestine, if you wish, historical Israel and what was the Palestinian mandate after World War I. They were designated by the United States as a Terrorist group in 2018. They're an offshoot of ISIS.

Very clear.

So this is ISIS moving again into Syria, threatening to topple the government of Bashar Assad, who is no friend of the United States. Let's remember that, but he's not as bad as ISIS.

Well, that was the question I had for you last week when we were talking off-air. I said, who's the good guy and who's the bad guy here? And your statement was, Welcome to the Middle East.

Well, we look at the allies of the different groups that are coming. We've got Turkey weighing in on this war. Of course, it's going to affect Israel. Iran, Lebanon, and of course, Russia. You put all of these into this mix.

I guess I just got to ask, what do we want to see happen? What do we wish could happen here?

Well, ironically, you know, our interest is stability. The United States' interest has always been stability. We don't want to see, at least the Trump administration, does not want to see ISIS form again to have territory in the Middle East. Remember, that was the war that President Trump extinguished. Three months in his first term when he first came to office in 2017.

So that's not something that we want. For the time being, they have not been threatening the couple of U.S. outposts in Syria, but that will happen. That is just a temporary logistical hiccup, if you wish. That will happen eventually.

Right now, you have the Turkish government who is supporting some of these groups. They claim this week they had meetings with the Iranian foreign minister. They claim to be meeting with Russians as well. They said, We're going to help both of you to support the Syrian government. That's what the Turks say publicly.

Meanwhile, they are also supporting the terrorist groups who are moving against the Syrian government. One of the reasons for this is because these groups took areas from the PKK and the Syrian Kurdish groups in the north. That has been a Turkish goal forever. This is a complicated situation, Rick. And I think you have people like Jake Sullivan, the Russians, and the Iranians all.

Playing sorcerer's apprentice here, trying to fan the flames of this conflict. It is not a good thing to see. It will ultimately also pose a threat for the United States and Israel. We're not there yet, but it's going to get there soon enough.

Well, we will continue to monitor this situation in the coming weeks as we see this kind of fast-moving situation going.

Well, let's move on. We'll talk about Russia. Russia, of course, is involved in Syria as well, but they are heavily involved in the Russia-Ukraine crisis, and it looks like everybody is positioning themselves for a possible negotiation or peace deal when President Trump comes into power. Can you talk a little bit about this?

Well, this is something that obviously we've been discussing for quite some time because President Trump has made it clear that he wants to end the war in Ukraine, an unnecessary war, and one that he just is appalled by the human suffering, the human consequences. Tucker Carlson went to Moscow for the second time this year. He was there earlier this week. He interviewed Lavrov, the Russian foreign minister, longest serving foreign minister in the world, by the way. That interview was released on Thursday.

And Lavrov was interesting. You know, on the one hand, he was saying to the Biden administration, Russia has red lines. We have real red lines. You think you can push us around. You think you can use ATACAM missiles, these long-range missiles, into Russia.

Well, guess what? We sent our Oreshnik hypersonic missile back as a message to you, hitting a missile factory in Ukraine to let you know. We have real red lines, and you have just crossed one of them. At the same time, he was sending that belligerent message, if you wish, to Biden, he was saying to Trump, look. We don't have to be enemies.

We are not at war with the United States. This is a quote from the interview. He said, We would like to have normal relations with our neighbors, of course, especially with a great country like the United States.

So, you know. He's playing good cop, bad cop, reminding us of how the Biden administration got us into this war, which I think is absolutely true by the provocations, by these promises made to Ukraine that they would become a NATO member. Whereas the United States for decades had told Russia that would never happen.

So he's letting us know that Biden and his team are responsible in Russia's eyes for the conflict. At the same time, that they are ready to resolve the conflict once Trump comes into power. On the campaign trail, President Trump famously said that he would end the war in Russia and Ukraine on day one.

Now, that might have been a little bit of hyperbole, but it certainly does seem like this situation is maybe ready for negotiation. This might actually happen rather quickly, huh?

Well, it could happen rather quickly. And remember, I mentioned General Keith Kellogg, who I work with at the America First Policy Institute. He has now been tapped as the envoy, the special envoy for Russia, Ukraine. And he has taken a real long, hard look at the origins of the war, at the grievances on both sides. And I think he's trying to figure out where that sweet spot might be for negotiating an end.

But again, the first step in this is a ceasefire. There are many people who worry that Putin is going to take advantage of a ceasefire. And it is true. Putin does take advantage of ceasefires the same way that Hezbollah and Hamas take advantage of ceasefires. But look, we can go into something like that with wide open eyes, understanding the possibility of cheating further down the line.

But the most important thing is to stop the bleeding, stop the killing, stop the massacres. That, I think, is President Trump's immediate goal. And that will be General Kellogg's goal as well.

Well, Ken, we'll continue to monitor that situation there in the Russia-Ukraine crisis. But, you know, that kind of plays into something that I wanted to ask you before I let you go today. And it seems to be that we've talked about what the situation in the Middle East. We've talked about the situation in Russia. There seems to be chaos all over the world.

There was a story this week, the president of South Korea imposed martial law, and that situation is very interesting. And of course, in your kind of adopted home country, France, their government is in turmoil as well. Chaos seems to reign supreme. Can you tell us what is going on around the world? Can you talk about this general instability that we're seeing?

Well, and the German government, too, which fell last month, and they're expecting new elections in Germany in February. Look, Rick, again, I get back to what I said at the beginning. Politics has a horror of vacuum when leaders are weak, such as Joe Biden was weak. The enemies swoop in. The same thing in South Korea, the same thing in France.

President Macron, as we've mentioned a couple of times, brought this crisis on himself when he called snap legislative elections over the summer in June, betting that he could pull off a quarterback sneak and sideline the two extremes in French politics and win a minority-majority government from the center.

Well, he failed. His centrist prime minister lost a vote of confidence this week over the budget. When the left-wing parties and the right-wing parties ally together, they have two-thirds of the parliament.

Okay, they have two-thirds of the parliament. Macron cannot govern. Can he hold elections until next June? It's a one-year term. The parliament must stay in power for one year.

So he's got a real problem.

South Korea has been a wild roller coaster of events over the past week, where the president, Yoon-suk-yeol, he's a conservative, by the way, he declared martial law. And the left-wing parliament, who have quite a number of sympathizers for North Korea, they basically blockaded parliament, kept the president's allies out of parliament, and voted to overturn martial law. And now they're talking about impeaching him.

So, look, politics does not like a vacuum when you have weak leaders. The other side is going to come in. They are always there. They are always plotting. They are always scheming.

It happens in the United States as well, Rick. You think you're in power. You think you have things under control. You have a moment of weakness and they strike when you least expect it.

So that's happening in South Korea. It's happening in France. It's happening in Germany. It's going to happen in Ukraine. It could happen in Russia and the United States as well.

Politics does not like a vacuum or weak leaders. Ken Timmerman for Prophecy Today. Ken, as always, we appreciate your insight as we look at what's going on around the world. We look forward to talking to you again soon.

Soon. Thanks so much, Rick. It's always a blessing. God bless. Great job, as always, Ken.

And I think we need to remember this: world leaders are appointed by God. We've got to take a break when we come back. David Dolan with our Middle East news update right here on Prophecy Today weekend. I'm Ruth Kramer with Mission Network News. It's been nine days of a strained ceasefire between Israel and Hezbollah.

Now, Lebanon is watching a surge of conflict in neighboring Syria. Tom Adama with Heart for Lebanon. Hezbollah used to be up there quite heavily, but they took a lot of their soldiers out, moving to southern Lebanon to fight with Israel and left the vacuum up there. Syrian rebel groups saw that power shift. Last week, on the very same day the ceasefire took effect, they launched a surprise offensive in Aleppo.

It's developed into the most significant change in the Syrian war's front line since 2020. Today, rebels controlled two of the nation's largest cities and miles of surrounding territory. Adama says Heart for Lebanon is preparing for the possibility of hundreds more Syrian refugees fleeing the violence. Please pray for them as they continue to share aid in the gospel of Christ. And in rural Indian communities, witch doctors are seen as the experts on healing and spiritual power and even control people through fear.

A mother and father, Sonny and Raj, brought their sick toddler son to the witch doctor, but Mission India's Regan Miller says they were discouraged, especially the mother Sonny. The recommendations they were given by the witch doctors were Just bizarre and things that, as a parent, you would never want to do to your child. But she didn't know what else to do. She was just at a loss. And so she followed the witch doctor's instructions, and of course, nothing worked.

The child stayed sick. But everything changed when a local Christian pointed them to Jesus. This story is a beautiful ending, and you can watch it in Mission India's new video release. We'll connect you at missionnews.org. Thanks for listening to Mission Network News, a service of one-way ministries.

This month, Slava Gospel Association is making available the free book Much Prayer, Much Power, of Peter Dyneka, SGA's founder. It's a resource aimed at making your prayer life more vibrant. Get your free copy when you click on the banner ad at missionnews.org. That's missionnews.org. I'm Ruth Kramer.

Welcome back to Prophecy Today Radio, the program that looks at current events in the light of Bible prophecy.

Well, this is the portion of our program. We call it our Middle East News Update. We look at news coming out of the Middle East in general, but Israel in particular. To do that, we have our good friend Dave Dolan with us. Dave, thanks for being with us today.

You're welcome, Rick.

Well, Dave, typically you start out by giving us an update. Can you give us the latest what took place in Israel this week?

Well, really, once again, Rick, the action is to the north of Israel, but not so much in Lebanon, but further north in Syria. I mentioned last week that the cabinet, the security cabinet, was holding an unusual, very unusual Sabbath evening meeting to discuss the crisis in Syria. That was two days after Aleppo, formerly the largest city in Syria before the civil war, in which a lot of people fled. But that it had been captured by rebel forces supported by Turkey, and that Mohammed al-Ghawani, the head of the rebel force, That he would go all the way to Damascus and oust the Assad regime.

Now he is controlled and his group, the Hayat Tahir Afsham, they've controlled the Idlib province in northwestern Syria. That's the only rebel-held area that was left in the country after basically Russia bombed the opposition into oblivion. And now, of course, Russian warplanes are once again involved. But it's a real mess, Rick. There are U.

S. forces involved. The Turkish forces are fighting. Jordan's closed its border with Syria. Israel has reinforced its forces on the Golan Heights.

because rebel forces are on the move there. There's reports that Islamic jihad forces are linking up with al Qaeda forces. And guess what? The Islamic State Group is back involved. they've taken over parts of the desert.

The U. S. backed Kurdish forces captured the sixth largest Syrian city, Rick, on Friday in northeastern Syria and also a nearby crossing point into Iraq They've taken control of that, but rebel forces are active all over the area. But the main action in the past few days. has been in the city of Holmes.

That city, it's the third largest city in Syria, centrally placed very close to northeastern Lebanon, Rick. Which is where most of the regime's allies live, the Alawites, the Alawi sect is headquartered in that area. That's, of course, where Russia has both an air and a naval base. Russian jets have been bombing positions. They destroyed a bridge into homes on Thursday night overnight.

But they are said to have only seven jets now active at that airbase, whereas they had 50 before the war in Ukraine got going.

So the Assad regime is looking around and doesn't see much help coming in, but Hezbollah has reportedly sent some forces into homes. Under Iran's direction, the Iranian Foreign Ministry said it would fully support Assad and that they would rearm them and they would bring more forces in. Israel's concerned greatly about all of this, Rick. And of course, We know that Syria and the regime has chemical weapons. And position was bombed north of homes overnight by the IDF, and they think it was a chemical weapons site.

This is a real dilemma for Israel because really it doesn't want Turkey controlling Syria, but it doesn't want Iran gaining any more control of Syria than it already has and these rebel forces.

So it's a real conundrum for Israel, a very dangerous situation, a very explosive situation, and yet it's hardly getting any media attention in the United States, I noticed. people don't understand what's going on. And this looks like a World War I battle taking place in the Mideast, Rick. It's lining up like that.

So we even have Iran sending in from Iraq some Shiite forces that are from Pakistan and from Afghanistan. We're seeing other countries get involved.

So this is really a mess. And Jordan is afraid that these forces may try to take over the regime there, the government there and install a Sunni fundamentalist government if they succeed in Syria.

So the whole apple card has been really turned over. And of course, Hamas is a Sunni Muslim group. And if the Sunni rebels take over in Damascus, that would probably strengthen Hamas's hands.

So a real dilemma for the Israeli leadership right now.

Well, it certainly is a dilemma for Israel, David. And, you know, in order to help our listeners understand the situation there in Syria, I'd like to start by understanding the major players. And Bashir el-Assad, the son of Hafez el-Assad, they've been the ruling family there in Syria for quite a while. Can you tell us what we need to know about the Assad family?

Well, Rick, they've actually been in power for fifty two years. And it's again, I mentioned the Alawites or the Alawis in Arabic. It's a small sect. It's about a third of the country is all. And yet, they seize control of the government in Damascus.

Bashra Asad's father. Hafaz Asad and a very brutal rule over the other groups, the Sunni Muslims, the Christians, the Druze in the north in particular, who are fighting now hard against the regime, by the way, backed up by nine hundred US forces. That are there as well. We've got to remember that. And the U.S.

also has an airbase, Al Tamp, in the south. of Syria that's right along the Jordan border. And right there today, nearby, is the border crossing that Jordan closed. That was after the rebels actually took it over.

So they're right there next to U. S. forces. And Russia's involved, Turkey's involved, and of course, Erdogan of Turkey has said. We want to see the Ottoman Empire return.

You know, Turkey should be ruling the entire Middle East. Israel shouldn't exist. He very much supports these rebel forces.

So Israel has, on the one hand, the Assad regime, Rick, strongly backed by Iran, that by the way, the UN announced on Friday is enriching uranium now up to 60 percent and is racing, it looks like, towards a nuclear bomb. They've got their forces in Iraq as well. The Assad regime has not been a friend of Israel by any means, but it's considered to be not a radical Islamic theology. It's the Alawiz, the Alawite sect, which is a Shiite sect. basically, but they're fairly friendly in the overall sense of things.

They don't have as a goal the destruction of Israel. I mean, they maybe do, but they haven't done much to implement that. But of course, these Sunni rebels They have moderated much in the past few years, they say, because they were an al-Qaeda wing, Rick, until 2016 when Al-Ghulani broke the ties with Al-Qaeda. But he still has the same theology, and that is very anti-Israel. And this is a country with Russia in it and America in it and all of these forces.

So I can tell you one thing, Rick. The residents of northern Israel that were thinking of returning and many went up this week to see their damaged homes. Metullah, it turns out, we now know, has just decimated. Many homes are in buildings destroyed right along the border with Lebanon. But now they're not going to go up there because these rebel forces from Syria.

May cross over, which is why Israel is strengthening, very much strengthening its forces. this weekend, Rick, on the Golan Heights, lest there be any cross border attacks. And by the way, the Security Cabinet is meeting once again this evening, Saturday evening and Sunday morning twice to discuss this crisis. and see what position Israel should adopt because, you know, it's like they're Danged if they do and danged if they don't. I want to clean that up for Christian Radio, but they really don't have good options here, but they can't allow Iran to become any stronger in Syria, and they can't allow Turkey to take over Syria.

So We have a world war brewing here, Rick, I would say, a very, very serious situation that requires a lot of prayer for Israel and really for all the countries involved.

Well, David, prayer certainly is needed in this situation. You know, in a post-October 7th world where Israel was attacked in this guerrilla-style warfare, which was very effective, you know, they share a border with Syria. This is something that has to have Israel very concerned for its security, for its people, especially as they begin to move back north.

Well, absolutely. Syria is a country and it has a government, a very weak government, et cetera, but it has an army.

Now a lot of Sunnis have deserted from the army. That's over the last thirteen years.

So that's not just happening now, but it is also happening now with the new round of fighting. And anything that happens there is very crucial to Israel. It has the Syrian Air Force. There are quite a few jets. They have ballistic missiles that are much closer to Israel, obviously, than the Iranian ballistic missiles are.

And so, in every way, Rick, this poses a grave threat to Israel. And of course, if Jordan, if the regime there, the Hashemite kingdom, were overthrown, that would pose another grave threat to Israel. Its whole Eastern Front would then be a warfront as well.

So, the implications of this, Rick, are very, very strong. And the question is. Turkey and Russia.

Now they're meeting. With Iran as well. There are foreign ministers in Qatar today to discuss all of this. Russia doesn't want to see Assad overthrown. That's clear.

They also probably don't want to see Iran completely take over Syria, but nevertheless, they'll support the regime. But Turkey has its own goals here, and we could see Turkey and Russia going to war. Over this, and that, of course, would involve NATO because Turkey's a NATO ally.

So, again, this is very explosive, Rick, very complicated, and Israel's watching with with trepidation to say the least. Dave Dolan for Prophecy Today. Dave, as always, we appreciate your insight. We look forward to talking to you again soon.

You're welcome, Nick. God bless. Great job, David. Need I say it? World leaders accomplishing God's will.

We've got to take a break when we come back. Wincon Benad, Paul Scharf, Legacy Series, and RC Merle, right here on Prophecy Today Weekend. I'm Ruth Kramer with Mission Network News. Last month, the U.S. House of Representatives reauthorized a bill from 2004.

It calls for North Korea to address grave abuses of its citizens, among other things. Todd Nettleton with the Voice of the Martyrs USA says it's a largely symbolic gesture to show that the U.S. is watching. He says Christians are considered a threat to the North Korean regime because they call Jesus, not Kim Il-sung, their Lord. They suffer, yet the gospel is spreading in North Korea.

Pray that leaders encounter Christ and radically change the nation. Then, it's the season of Advent, a time of waiting as Christians eagerly anticipate the arrival of Christ. Church services during Advent traditionally center on four themes: hope, peace, joy, and love. Denise Godwin of International Media Ministries says, Christians can point lost people around us to the source of these universally desired gifts. More at missionnews.org.

Mission Network News, a service of one-way ministries on Ruth Kramer. Welcome back to Prophecy Today. I'm Jimmy De Young Jr. Along with Rick, we're examining God's prophetic word.

Well, this is the month of December, and it's the time of Christmas. The true meaning of Christmas is love. John 3:16 and 17 says, For God so loved the world that He gave His one and only Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish, but have everlasting life. For God did not send His Son into the world to condemn the world, but to save the world through Him. The true meaning of Christmas is a celebration of this incredible act of love.

The real Christmas story is the story of God becoming a human being in the person of Jesus Christ. Why did God do such a thing? Because He loves us? Why was Christmas necessary? Because we needed a Savior.

Why does God love us so much? Because He is love itself. 1 John 4, 8. Why do we celebrate Christmas each year? Out of gratitude for what God did for us.

We remember His birth by giving each other gifts, worshiping Him, and being especially conscious of the poor and less fortunate. The true meaning of Christmas is love. God loved His own and provided a way, the only way for us to spend eternity with Him. He gave His only Son to take our punishment for our sins. He paid the price in full, and we are free from condemnation when we accept that free gift of love.

But God demonstrated His own love for us in this. While we were still sinners, Christ died for us. Romans 5:8.

Well, we've got a lot more to go on the program today. Winky Medad, former mayor of Shiloh, coming up, and we're going to continue this thought process. And it's one of those, Rick, that as we were thinking about the Program today. We really didn't come up with this idea to focus on President-elect Donald Trump again and his decisions. It just so happens that when you're talking about world leaders making decisions, he certainly factors into all the world and all the decisions that are being made.

So, why don't we pick up with Winky Madad here in just a second? Paul Scharf is coming to continue the series on Hanukkah, why it's so very important to the body of believers, the church. And we'll pick up Paul right after this. R.C. Merle is coming at the end of the program.

And don't forget the legacy series with Dr. Jimmy D. Young: the time and the place for the birth of Christ is so very important.

Well, Rick, let's join Winky in Israel.

Well, that's right, Jimmy. Winky Madat is with us. He's a frequent contributor to the program. He comes to us from his home in Shiloh, which is in the area of Judea and Samaria. That's what we call it.

Some might call it the West Bank area. Winky, as always, we appreciate you joining us to give us your insight. Thanks for being with us today. Thank you. Thank you.

Well, Winkie, there's just a few stories that I'd like you to get your thoughts on. The first one is the story this week that President Trump basically said that the hostages better be released by the time he comes into office on inauguration on january twentieth or else kind of a thinly veiled threat. Can you tell us how that has gone over in Israel and what your thoughts are about it?

Well, of course, it's a positive step. It's a step in which The American President is showing a little bit of uh Gumption, I think perhaps the word could be used. being right up front about the issue. and not hiding it or every once in a while mentioning it. They're making it sort of an issue which will alert people and put them on preparedness.

I just discovered this week That there is a website of the United States State Department. which publicizes Uh rewards. for information on hostages American hostages being held around the world. And there are a good number of them all around the place. The mo I think the most recent uh was in Somali.

So, being an inquisitive person, I check to see. uh what the entry for Hamas Gaza was. And would you believe that I couldn't find it? In other words, the United States State Department Even its own American citizens who were held hostage there by Hamas. is not getting proper attention, even in a simple bureaucratic step of saying we will pay money or we will give a reward for for information leading to the arrest of people who are holding American hostages.

Obviously, this is a quite different situation from what we're listening from and hearing from President-elect Trump.

Well, I would certainly agree, and I'm sure that website will probably change on January 20th as we look at this situation.

Well, not only do we see Trump's potential influence in the hostage situation, but there are those in the area of Judea and Samaria, again, what the world calls the West Bank, and some people call them Israeli settlers, which, full disclosure, you would be considered a quote-unquote settler. But there are those that are saying that with President Trump back in office, they are looking for Israel to revive full control of the Judea and Samaria or West Bank area. Can you talk about that and what you think the prospects are there? Yeah, I I I don't know and I'm always sort of cautious. while being optimistic.

that the question of sovereignty over all the territory, I think, is still a process. I don't know if it could be done unless within the next coming year or so, President Trump is convinced that the Palestinian National Authority is a corrupt body at stealing American money. that it's encouraging terror and incitement. And that it is there is no uh Uh help. that could save it.

especially that we know that Mahmoud Abbas, who is eighty I think he's eighty nine years old, has already appointed a temporary successor because he expects to go somewhere else in the next year or so. which me might lead to an all have bloodbath between Hamas And fatah. not only in Gaza, but in Debay and Samaria. Uh so the situation could possibly be. stay with me on this.

The President Trump will give this over a about a week or so look and say, Oh, let the Israelis take care of it and that's the end. These guys can't help themselves. They're just They just are barter to me. That could happen. But I still think we have a process to go through.

We have to convince a lot more people that we do have the rights to be there, we should be living there, and ultimately, that we should be able to be the sovereign power in that area, not only for Jews or Israelis or whatever, for everybody who lives there. I've always made it clear that we are not a racist people, and the Arabs living there should get the best education, health care, economic advantages, et cetera, that everybody else can get.

Well, we'll continue to see how the Trump administration reacts to the situation there in the West Bank, and we'll continue that theme. Let's talk a little bit about an article that you had in the Jerusalem Post. And basically, you talked about how over the last few years there have been those in the State Department and different places who have said that we need to have tough love on Israel because of XYZ, quote unquote, they've been having they've they've gone too far in Gaza or what they're doing in the north.

Well, looking at this new administration, you make the contention that the Palestinians may begin having to face a tough love situation. Can you talk about what you meant by that?

Well, for over twenty years or more, we've heard, as you said, this Tough love. Uh threat. Or tough love request from various liberal democratic pundits and other people. saying th this or that administration needs to press Israel.

Well I've always said, why don't you press the Palestinians also? I mean, they're not lily white. No matter what you think about what their rights are, or what their privileges are, or what's fair for them, I'm not. Uh they're not lily white. And they should also be facing where's the supervision over their finances?

where all this money goes to. Why are they still broadcasting incitement over their Palestinian national media, television and radio? Do they have peace curriculum programs in high school or even in elementary school? Are they promoting coexistence? Are they cooperating with Israel fully in all sorts of issues?

From security to economics to water to environment. And if they're not, they should be told. Either they're going to get punished or they're not going to get what it was promised to them because they're not fulfilling their end of the bargain. Yeah, I've been around a good few years, as you know, and no one has pressed The other side. The Palestinian National Authority or the PLO when they were the PLO, et cetera.

It's always been: Israel has to do this, Israel has to do that. I'm very sorry. I think this cur incoming administration would better understand the position that, wait, it's time the other side begin to show some compromise, some willingness to coexist. and some responsibility about fulfilling their commitments.

Well, Winky, as my final question for you, we've talked about the hostages. We've talked about the area of Judea and Samaria. We've talked about the Palestinian issue. My final question. There's a story that came out in the last couple of weeks, and President Trump's nominee for Defense Secretary, Pete Hexeth.

Now, he's faced, he may or may not get confirmed. He's faced, he's somewhat controversial, but he made some statements back in 2018 where he suggested that a new temple could and possibly should be built on the Temple Mountain.

Now, I bring that story up and basically this whole situation to say that with the incoming cast of people that are in President Trump's administration, including Mike Huckabee, the ambassador to Israel, do you see anything different potentially taking place on the Temple Mountain? Do you see anything happening in the rebuilding of a Jewish temple there on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem?

Well, the first thing I see in a positive way is a lot more, as you say, administration officials People in official categories and positions like ambassador or secretary of this or secretary of that. As soon as he began talking, about issues that in the liberal press and in progressive circles has been degraded, if I can say, has been played down or something fanatical and not part of the current political horizons. And that's a good step, it's a good first step, solid step in the right direction when you say, wait a second, let's talk about it. Why do the Muslim authorities not allow anybody up on the Temple Mount to pray other than Muslims? Why do they limit the hours?

For example, I remember we used to go up on the Sabbath, on the Saturdays. right, they've closed it down. We were only five days a week.

So even to begin to talk with it would be a positive direction, a positive step To bringing the temple back. I mean, look, there are temples in India. There are all sorts of festivals in Mexico and Spain and other South American countries where you see I wouldn't want to call them idols, but figures that are pranced around and danced around even in the Christian faith that they hold, right?

So why can't Jews and even Christians go up to Temple Mount and within a certain area, with a certain time, pray? Respectfully. We're they're not going to tear down any of the buildings. Uh that's uh something in uh the far future, or hopefully, uh, Messiah or Redemption will be uh a lot closer than we think. And uh we all can get along.

It goes back to my answer to that previous question you asked me. Why do the Muslims or the Arabs get a free pass uh to restrict other religions and no one says boo about it.

Well, we have Mike Huckerby, we have Paul Pete with Peter Hagseth and other people who are at least talking about it and bringing it into the conversation. That's a very positive step.

Well, it certainly is. And Winky, as always, we appreciate your insight into this situation as we look at what the future of at least the U. S.-Israeli relations will be and how President Trump will have an impact there in the Holy Land.

Well, Winky, as always, we appreciate your insight. We look forward to talking to you again soon.

Thank you very much for having me on, and goodbye to you. and our listeners. This is the month of December. We've established that. We established it last week, and I'm sure everybody knows if you're like me.

Rick, we are still kind of trying to get everything together in order to enjoy the season. And sometimes the busyness of the holidays gets the best of us, and we really forget about the birth of Jesus Christ, and we forget about the reason for the season and understanding that.

Well, it is the season of Christmas, and last week we also started a series with my good friend Paul Scharf. Paul Scharf is a church ministries missionary with Friends of Israel, and he works in the Midwest. And we started a series on Hanukkah. Paul, welcome back to the program this week. Thank you, Jimmy.

It's great to be back with you. Yes, sir. And we got a lot of great response from people that appreciate always when we look at the Jewish holy days, holidays, the Jewish feast. With either you or Steve Herzig, with Friends of Israel, you guys, you enlighten us as to why the feasts are so important for us to understand as Christians, not necessarily to take part in them as bringing them back in, but really to understand them, correct? Right.

It's so important for us to understand this background to our biblical faith, which comes, of course, to us. really from the Jewish people. And it's also so important that we can understand and relate to our Jewish friends, especially at this most festive season of the year Them as it is for us as Christians.

So last week we talked about those black hole of the Bible, and really, I mean, it's just the pages from the Old Testament to the New Testament, from the end of Malachi to the beginning of Matthew. Let's go back, just rehearse that just a little bit, so somebody that's just coming in new this week will understand what we're talking about and why, as we start to talk about Hanukkah, why it's important. Right. Well, Jimmy, it's so important because During those four hundred silent years, as we often refer to them, we know that God was working all things after the counsel of his will, as he works throughout history to Bring all things to fulfillment for his glory. But he was working specifically during that time, we might say setting the stage for the coming of Christ, his first coming.

I think that's why Hanukkah is also so vitally important for us today as we live at the time we believe we're seeing the stage being set for Christ's second coming and for the fulfillment of those prophetic events. But back in this time God was directing all things to bring the world to that precise moment when, in the fullness of the time, send forth his son at the exact precise time that he had determined and when the world conditions were in the place that God wanted them for that marvelous event to to occur and for the life of Christ and his ministry to take place on the earth. Yes, you know what I love about it, it was exactly right on time. When you look at the years mentioned in the book of Daniel, we know when Christ would appear in the city of Jerusalem. And really, You know, the Jewish people should have, and that's what Christ said.

If you'd only read the prophets, you would know that I was supposed to be here at this very moment.

So, you know, that's a, I love the fact that he's always on time, never early, never late. And so, that's a, I think that is so very important.

Well, we are talking about Hanukkah, it's the Jewish festival, the feast of dedication, also known as the Festival of Lights. It is an eight-day festival beginning on the 25th day of the Jewish month of Kislav. And I think that's important.

So, let's talk about Hanukkah again and just bring us up to speed. And then I have a few other questions I'd like to ask you as pertaining to Hanukkah.

Well, Jimmy Hanukkah, of course, uh Celebrates these events that happened in the one sixties BC in between. uh the Old Testament and the New Testament. And thus, it cannot be a biblically mandated festival. It's not in the Mosaic law, it's not in Leviticus 23. But it it commemorates what happened when the Jewish people rose up in the most astounding way and overcame The tyranny of a man named Antiochus IV or Antiochus Epiphanes.

who came out of the Greek Empire, one of the four offshoots of Alexander the Great. And he took over the kingship of the Seleucid Empire, the Syrians. He's the king of the north biblically as opposed to the king of the south in Egypt. who he had tried to attack three times, And he had really set his sights on world domination, being the next Alexander, And the key, he believed, to implementing that kind of reign was to subjugate everyone in the empire, including the Jewish people, whom he had overtaken, And he wanted to remove all of their culture All of their religion, everything, all of their traditions, everything that they knew and loved, and make them fully Greek. The technical term is Hellenistic.

And by the way, Jimmy, we see traces of the results of this all through the Gospels, all the way into the book of Acts in the early church. Remember in Acts chapter six, you had a group of widows that were concerned. of the treatment they were receiving because they were Hellenistic uh Jews and not of the traditional uh Jewish People that like the rest. And so we have this remnant of this time all the way down there into the New Testament church. Sure, do.

And really, that Hellenistic really begins with the Greek time period. And when you think about it, and I hope I'm not stealing your thunder a little bit, Paul, but when you think about it, the times of the Gentiles, this is that dream that Nebuchadnezzar had in Daniel chapter 2. Daniel had a dream pertaining to the times of the Gentiles, beginning with the Babylonian Empire being overtaken by the Medes and the Persians. And then the Greeks, Alexander the Great, and that's who you're referring to when you say Alexander. Alexander the Great, with the speed that he came from Greece across the European continent, all the way to ended up dying in Babylon at the age of 32.

But really, then his Greek empire, his Grecian empire, was split into fours in order for the four generals, Alexander the Great's four. Generals to kind of take and have that area, which I mean, it's laid out in Bible prophecy.

So we're talking about this is the time period that the Seleucids were in control and they overtook the holy land, really going into the temple.

Well, we could talk about that. How do we see this in the Old Testament, Paul?

Well, Jimmy, you've hit the nail on the head. It's all based in the book of Daniel. We have Nebuchadnezzar's dream of the four kingdoms that will rule the world from the time that Nebuchadnezzar began to overtake Jerusalem And his rule, followed by his successors through the end of the Babylonian kingdom. would be followed by Medo-Persia, Greece and Rome. And then finally, a revived Roman Empire at the end of time.

In the future Time of fulfillment of prophecy we believe before the second coming of Christ. This is described in Nebuchadnezzar's dream in Daniel chapter two, it's in the form of this Magnificent rule of man that glimmers in the sun, this amazing statue, gold, silver, bronze, and iron. Uh but then when Daniel receives another vision about this in chapter seven, he sees the four kingdoms like uh Peter calls Some people, natural brute beasts made to be taken and destroyed. Oh, wow. He sees them as these horrendous.

Just strange creatures, lion, a bear, a leopard. and finally, an indescribably horrible beast. And then Daniel sees them again in Chapter eight as a ram and a he goat, this time only though Medo Persia and Greece. And that's where we zero in on Greece in the Greek Empire that you've mentioned under Alexander the Great and then his successors as they're broken up. And over many decades, we get down to this time around one hundred seventy five when Antiochus comes to power.

As the king of the north, the king of the Seleucids, the king of Syria. And he's the man we were talking about who had this vision of ruling the world like Alexander. And in the process of ruling over the Jewish people, he desecrates The temple and does just unimaginably horrendous things to the people. And to show his power over them and just to demoralize them within the temple in Jerusalem. And he brings an end to temple sacrifice And in fact, he sacrifices a pig on the altar in honor of the god Greek god Zeus.

And he's actually insane enough to believe that perhaps he's the manifestation Antiochus. Epiphanes is his name. He's the manifestation, he believes Theos Epiphanes, of God and the God Zeus. And so he carries out all these abominable works. In Jerusalem and on the Jewish people.

Uh and it's all laid out, Jimmy, in biblical prophecy. That's where we go back again to the book of Daniel. This story is told in Daniel chapter 8 initially. as Daniel is describing This He goat. which is Alexander, who's going to come across the world so quickly, not even touching the ground, He's described In uh Daniel.

Uh chapter eight. Verse five. And his successors after that great horn is broken, the horn of Alexander, There come up these four uh little horns And they are including the King of the North that we're talking about and Titus Eupiphanes. That's how Hanukkah relates to Bible prophecy. How do you see it relating in the future to Bible prophecy?

Well, yes, Jimmy, because we're talking here about the book of Daniel chapter eight. Verses nine through fourteen, Daniel receives this vision and then Gabriel, interestingly, the first time in all of Scripture that an angel is named Gabriel describes the the Vision that Daniel has received he gives him an Inspired interpretation, if you will. In verses twenty three through twenty six, as Daniel records this, And it's interesting. And then we go we would have to go further, Jimmy, in Daniel chapter 11, verses twenty one through thirty five. They lay out this whole scenario.

And a couple of things about that. You ask if it relates to Bible prophecy. It's actually, we believe Antiochus is a type of the future Antichrist. They're both they both have this unique They share this unique connection in that they're both going to commit an abomination of desolation in the temple in Jerusalem. uh and proclaim themselves to be Be God in the temple in Jerusalem.

And sometimes the descriptions about them are so intertwined and match so closely that even. Bible students in our pre-trib movement will interpret. A particular passage, some will interpret it as being talking about Antiochus, and others will interpret it as talking about the future Antichrist. That's how closely these two men are interconnected on the pages of Biblical prophecy.

Well, Paul, thank you so much for joining with us today and giving us a better understanding of Hanukkah. We look forward to having you back in the future during a holiday or a holy day, one of the feasts of the Bible. And give us again your website, Paul.

Well, thank you, Jimmy. People can find all my Resources for our ministry within the Friends of Israel on sermonaudio.com. At sermonaudio.com slash P Sharf. That's P S-C-H-A-R-F. Excellent.

Thank you, Paul, for joining with us this week. We look forward to joining with you again. God bless you. Thank you so much, Jimmy.

So far on today's program, we've covered world leaders, we've covered the nations that are in Bible prophecy, we've even talked about Jewish holidays that lead up to Bible prophecy. In a moment, we'll be talking about the day of Christmas. Is that really important? And then R.C. Murrow, I have standing by to talk to us about another important decision that President-elect Trump is making.

All that right ahead, right here on Prophecy Today, weekend. Welcome back to Prophecy Today. I'm Jimmy DeYoung Jr. Along with Rick, we've been examining current events in the light of God's prophetic word. We've started this series on Christmas, Rick.

And if someone were interested in getting something in a video form, where would they go?

Well, Jimmy, you could certainly go to our website and we have a video entitled Bethlehem Beyond the Christmas Story, which basically is a video teaching what you're going to be hearing coming up soon on the radio. But also, if you call our office at 423-825-6247 for a donation of any amount around this Christmas time, we'd love to give you that video, get it in your hands so you can see this teaching that you're going to hear from dad in just a second. On the legacy series today, we're going to continue with interesting details and facts as they relate to the Christmas story. And today we're going to be looking at what about the day that we celebrate his birthday, December 25th. Is that truly the day that Christ was born?

Born on. We'll look first at Luke chapter 1.

So take your Bible, go to Luke chapter 1. We'll begin to study some of those interesting details and facts related to the Christmas story. Dr. Jimmy D. Young and the Legacy Series.

Today we're going to continue our study of interesting facts and details related to the Christmas story, the first coming of Jesus Christ, which took place almost 2,000 years ago. I'm going to answer the question that many, many people ask all the time: was it really December the 25th that Jesus Christ was born on? You know, I've heard sermon after sermon, and you probably have as well, heard sermons and preachers telling us that no way was Jesus Christ born on December the 25th. That would be in the middle of the winter. And in those fields in Bethlehem, it would be a terrible time out there in the cold winter night with rain and sleet and snow.

Listen, I lived in Jerusalem for the last 20 years, and I know exactly how it is in December there in those shepherds' fields. And I've seen six inches of snow on those shepherds' fields. It was a beautiful Christmas scene because so often we relate Christmas to snow. Those same sermons have talked about the shepherds not being able to be in the shepherd's fields at that point in time. I want to tell you, they had to be in those fields.

But again, we have to go back to the question: how can we know if it was December the 25th, the true day of the birth of Jesus Christ? We're going to look today at the text, what God's Word has to say about it. Tyrant connected with this event of Christmas, and the theologians. And how did they come to the conclusion of accepting the 25th of December as the birth date for Jesus Christ? Let's go first to the text, and we'll go to the book of Luke, chapter 1, where we have one of the chapters that's dealing with the first coming of Jesus Christ, his birth.

Let's go to verse 5, because in this verse, we're going to find out actually information helping us to determine the actual month that Jesus Christ would have been born. Remember, we're talking about Zacharias, who is a priest. There was in the days of Herod, the king of Judea, a certain priest named Zacharias, and he was of the course of Abia.

Now, let me stop right there. The course of Abia. What's that talking about?

Well, remember, King David was not allowed to build the temple because of sin in his life. His son Solomon would actually build the temple. In 1 Chronicles 21, King David sets in place 24 courses for the 28,000 priests to work at the temple during the year. They would only work about a two-week period of time. Zacharias was of the course of Abia.

According to additional Jewish literature, the Talmud, we know the time of the course of Abia. That would be the last week of July and the first week of August. He was serving in that period of time, and after his two weeks of responsibility as a priest at the temple, verse 23 tells us that when it came to pass, as soon as the days of his ministration were accomplished, what's that talking about?

Well, Zacharias, like every priest, had responsibilities after their two weeks of service in the temple as a priest, and they had to go through the ritual baths. They had to go through many activities that would keep them from returning home until all these activities were finished.

Well, it says in verse 23, when they were accomplished, he departed to his own house. which was located in Encharim, about seven miles from the Temple Mount. Notice verse twenty four. And after those days his wife Elizabeth conceived. As the angel Gabriel had told Zacharias the priest, his wife Elizabeth, who had had a barren womb until this time and up in age, was going to give birth to a child.

He returns to his home after his ministration, which follows his two weeks of service. We're talking about the first week of September when Zacharias would actually get home, and his wife conceived, and then the text tells us that she hid herself for a five-month period of time. Look at verse 26. In the sixth month, the angel Gabriel was sent from God unto a city of Galilee named Nazareth. And you've read this story before.

You can read through it now or later after the broadcast is over. But you will see that the angel Gabriel came to Mary the Virgin and said she would conceive of the Holy Spirit and she would give birth to the Messiah, Jesus Christ.

Now let's think just for a moment. Zacharias goes home. He gets there the first of September. His wife conceives.

So let's check it out. She was six months before Mary would hear that she was going to conceive by the Holy Spirit to bring forth the man child, Jesus Christ. October, November, December, January, February, March. That's the sixth month. That's when Mary conceives.

Let's start in March. April, May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December. And so we have the conclusion that indeed Jesus Christ would be born in the month of December. That does not zero in on the exact day, but we've now locked in according to the text. The month of December would be the time of the birth of Jesus Christ.

I want to look now at the tyrant. And let me remind you of the story of the tyrant Antiochus Epiphanes. In order to be able to do that, we've got to go back over to the book of Daniel, chapter 11. The prophet Daniel, in chapter 11, a very prophetic passage of scripture, gives us five personalities, five political leaders that he prophesies and foretells will come on the scene many years before that ever happens. Let's go to verse 21 now.

And we read about the madman, Antiochus Epiphanes. It talks about 360 years before the fact, a Grecian ruler who would come into Jerusalem and commit the abomination of desolation. Look at verse 31. And arms shall stand on his part. In other words, he will.

Is going to be a military leader, and they shall pollute the sanctuary of strength, and take away the daily sacrifice, and they shall place the abomination that maketh desolate. There is going to be an abomination of desolation in the future. We'll get to that in just a moment. But this was the prototype when Antiochus Epiphanes on Keslov 25, 168 BC, and Keslov is a Jewish month that corresponds with our month of December.

So on December 25th, 168 BC, Antiochus Epiphanes walks into the temple, takes a pig, slaughters the pig on the altar, and throws his innards all over the holy temple. That was the abomination of desolation that Daniel wrote would happen, and it took place Keslov 25, 168 BC. On Keslov 25, 165 BC, that's December the 25th, three years to the day after Antiochus Epiphanes desecrated the temple, the Maccabees came in and ran Antiochus Epiphanes out of the temple. They cleaned it up, they reconsecrated the temple. During the cleanup of the temple, they had found a flask of virgin olive oil.

That's how you fuel the seven-branched candle opera, the menorah. And so they lighted the menorah with that flask of virgin olive oil, and that was enough to keep the menorah lighted for one day.

However, it stayed lighted for eight days. Thus, the Jewish holy day of Hanukkah, the feast of dedication, or the feast of lights. Remember, Jesus Christ celebrated the feast of Hanukkah in John chapter 10 and verse 22. That's what the menorah in the holy place in the temple represents, the light of the world, that light Jesus Christ. While Hanukkah is celebrated today, the Jewish people gather with their family, and for eight days straight they light an additional candle and talk about the activities of the Maccabees when they ran Antiochus Epiphanes out of the temple, out of Jerusalem, reconsecrated the temple, and brought it to a place where it could then serve as the worship center for the Jewish people to worship God.

Now your next question may be, well, what does this have to do with December the 25th?

Well, that's a great question. I'm going to answer it right now. We've looked at the text in Luke chapter 1, and that indicates that Jesus Christ was indeed born in December there in the shepherd's fields. The story about the tyrant Antiochus Epiphanes gives us a date, December 25th. And I want you to know that the theologians selected December the 25th to celebrate the birthday of Jesus Christ.

It was first selected by the Western church early in the fourth century. Actually, there was a sermon that was preached on December the twenty fifth, three hundred eighty six AD in Antioch. There's a very interesting connection, by the way, to Antiochus Epiphanes and the future. Antiochus performed the abomination of desolation, which was a prototype of an end of times prophecy that will be fulfilled. In order for that to happen, there must be another madman, a world dictator, or maybe you know him better as the Antichrist, who shall come on the scene.

Now, in addition to this world dictator, we'll need a temple standing on the Temple Mount in the city of Jerusalem. Again, the Bible tells us in Daniel 9:27, there will be a temple to be desecrated with the abomination of desolation at the midway point of the seven-year tribulation. 2 Thessalonians 2:4, the Apostle Paul tells us how the abomination will take place as the Antichrist walks into the Holy of Holies on the Temple in Jerusalem at the midway point of the tribulation period and claims to be God, the abomination of desolation. The Bible does tell us about this event that looks to the future. Future, a connection with the first coming of Jesus Christ and the way we get the day, December the 25th, to celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ.

Every single prophecy that will be fulfilled in that seven-year period of time is at the point of being fulfilled. But before that happens, before any of the prophecies of the future will be fulfilled, the next prophecy on God's calendar is the rapture of the church. When Jesus shouts, the archangel shouts, the trumpet God sounds, and we leave this place to go to be with him in the heavenlies forevermore. That rapture could happen, by the way, at any moment. How does this connect to the Christmas story?

It's a very significant connection. If Jesus Christ did not fulfill all of the prophecies for the Messiah at His first coming, as He did, then we would have no assurance of the Second Coming. But the truth be known, the Christmas story is evidence that Jesus Christ did fulfill every one of those prophecies pertaining to His first coming. That gives us the basis upon which we then can be assured that Jesus Christ will fulfill those prophecies pertaining to His second coming. And every one of those prophecies are about to be fulfilled.

as the ones for his first coming, which took place at Christmas almost two thousand years ago. Uh What a profound thought. The prophecies fulfilled related to the first coming of Jesus Christ give us a basis upon which then we can have assurance that Jesus Christ will fulfill every single prophecy found in the Word of God related to His second coming. I have to say, if you have any idea of those prophecies that will be fulfilled during that seven-year tribulation period, you can You're aware of the fact we're at that point in history when they well could be fulfilled, and very, very soon now. I hope and pray that you have looked back to that first coming of Jesus Christ, in order to be prepared for the second coming by having put your trust in Jesus Christ for your salvation.

Next week on the broadcast, we'll be looking at those shepherds that were in the shepherd's fields at the time of the birth of Christ and received the announcement of his birth from the angels above the shepherd's fields. You'll find out some very interesting details and facts about the Christmas story related to the shepherds if you can join us next week. Dr. Jimmy DeYoung and the Legacy Series. I want to remind you of the offer that Rick made at the beginning of this segment.

You can get the DVD Bethlehem Beyond the Christmas Story. You know, people continue to be drawn from all over the world to the little town of Bethlehem, the place where Christ was born. Although the birth of Jesus Christ took place more than 2,000 years ago, the message of God's love will go on forever. Join Dr. Jimmy DeYoung and Bonnie Keen as they take a look at the key locations throughout Bethlehem.

Gain a better understanding of the compassion God had for the world by giving us the gift of His Son. And see the impact of Emmanuel God with us. Get your DVD for a gift of any amount to our ministry. We're going to take a break, and when we come back, we'll wrap up the program today. Right here on Prophecy Today weekend.

I'm Ruth Kramer with Mission Network News. The U.S. House of Representatives passed the North Korean Human Rights Reauthorization Act of 2023 just last month. It would renew a 2004 bill calling for North Korea to address grave abuses of its citizens. It's a symbolic gesture to show that the U.S.

is watching, says Todd Nettleton with the Voice of the Martyrs USA. He explains that Christians are considered a threat to the North Korean regime because of a core government concept. They call it the philosophy of Juche or self-reliance, but it is built on the idea that members of the Kim family are divine beings. Christianity is treason because if you say that Jesus is Lord, if you pray to Jesus, then you're saying Kim Il-sung is not Lord. Yet the gospel is spreading in North Korea.

Pray that leaders encounter Christ and radically change the nation. And it's the season of Advent. Denise Godwin with International Media Ministry says it's time for Christians to share the hope we have in Christ. That sharing can take many forms. Through media, through conversations, through giving, through prayer.

For people in many countries around the world, there is no significance to Christmas. There's no purpose behind this season for them. In many cases, there's no markers, no lights, no decorations, things like that. And that's illegal, and they don't understand the light of the world. Wherever we live, Christians can point the world around us to the source of Advent's themes: hope, peace, joy, and love.

In the midst of our Advent meditations this year, let's remind our dark world that light has come. Thanks for listening to Mission Network News, a service of one-way ministries. This month, Slava Gospel Association is making available the free book, Much Prayer, Much Power, by Peter Dyneka, SGA's founder. It's a resource aimed at making your prayer life more vibrant. Get your free copy when you click on the banner ad at missionnews.org.

I'm Luth Kramer. Welcome back to Prophecy Today. I'm Jimmy DeYoung, and along with my brother Rick, we've been examining current events in the light of God's prophetic word. I wanted to come back in at this point in the program, and you know, we've had a theme today, and that is really looking at world leaders throughout the whole program that are changing the world.

So, shortly after President Trump was elected, he makes a statement about the BRICS Nations.

So, I needed to get my good friend on the radio with us this week, R. C. Murrow. Welcome back to the program. Great to be back with you, Jimmy.

Thank you. Yes, sir. So, the nations of the world really are on high alert with President-elect Trump's threat of sanctions. The article you sent me: Trump threatens 100% tariffs on China and Russia if the BRICS group issues a new currency. And that really makes a strong point that fear of the U.S.

government sanctions touches on a topic that you and I have talked about on several broadcasts before answering. And we want to remind our listeners who are the members of BRICS: that would be Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, Iran, UAE, Egypt, and Ethiopia. Yeah, Jimmy, it's quite a group, and there are a lot more nations looking to apply as soon as the BRICS group is going to open up for more members. Since the November 5th election, President-elect Trump has threatened more sanctions against Russia. while China, Mexico and Canada are being threatened for not stopping the flow of illegal immigrants, into the US.

As recently as December first, President Trump issued a blanket one hundred percent sanction threats against the leaders of the BRICS group, Russia and China, for threatening to challenge the US dollar's World Reserve currency status with a new BRICS currency. In addition, mister Trump is demanding that Russia and China declare their allegiance to the dollar. Jimmy, so far, BRICS is admitting to working out trade settlements away from the dollar and of creating an investment bank that will make loans to other developing countries. The talk of a new BRICS currency is really being played down.

Now R. C., that actually sounds good for the U. S. for a change.

So why do you see this as a problem? Mexico and Canada both rolled over on the immigration issue, to which I stand up and applaud. But what would be the effects of one hundred percent sanctions on the leaders of a block of nations that collectively comprise forty-five percent of the world's population, twenty-eight percent of global economic output, and twenty-nine percent of global oil production? Sanctions, you know. it can have a negative effect on the rest of the world as nations wonder if they'll be next if they don't kiss the ring.

Arnaud Bertrand, one of the world's richest men, recently said this. The mighty US dollar is apparently so mighty that you need to threaten countries so they don't abandon it. Bernard continued. Brick's country should take totally take him to his word and go ahead with this. One hundred percent tariffs on BRICS products would actually further undermine the dollar.

It had reduced demand for it due to reduced trade, and it had caused significant inflation in the U. S., also a negative to the dollar. It's almost like saying if you try to if you try to undermine the dollar, I'll do it as well. Wow, you know, and it kind of reminds me of uh in in my history lessons in high school uh of the uh bully pulpit, right? Like he he's uh he is threatening and and it so it seems like you're saying that the President-elect is taking sanctions too far.

Well, Jimmy, if President-elect Trump is not employing an art of the deal tactic, For which he is famous. I would say yes, this could get out of hand. When nations get sanctioned, dollar assets held in other countries' banks can be frozen. thereby causing major economic disruptions, giving those nations All the incentive they need to find alternatives to the dollar, like joining a BRICS group. Foreign policy analyst Daniel Larison said this.

If Trump if Trump's first term proved anything, It's that other states cannot be so easily intimidated through economic warfare. Pressure usually provokes defiance and resistance when the targeted country. is one that has a history of being bullied by the US. It is even more likely that a pressure campaign will blow up in Washington's face. The U.

S. has continued waging the same economic war under Biden, and Iran's nuclear program is now more advanced than it's ever been. By any measure, maximum pressure has made things worse. Yeah.

So, what do you think, RC, is a potential outcome? In the eighteen hundreds, the Dutch Gilder was the World Reserve currency. In the nineteen hundreds, the French franc was reserved currency. In the late nineteen hundreds, into the mid twentieth century, it was the British pound. The US dollar has been the World Reserve currency since 1944.

and its enemies, both internal and external, have become more dangerous. Jimmy, as Bible prophecy students, we know from Daniel two twenty one that it is God who removes kings and raises up kings.

Sometimes for blessing, other times for judgment.

So I don't think there's ever been a more important time for us to pray for the President-elect. And the new incoming government. You're absolutely right, RC. And, you know, as we think about this, and we're not, I think, you know, one of the things that you and I talked about before we went on the air is to, you know, we want to be careful about attacking somebody that is so popular because he really is popular, even in the Christian community, he's so very popular. But as we know, and of course, you talked about Daniel chapter 2.

I always mention Revelation chapter 17: God uses world leaders to accomplish his will, both good and bad, and as you just said, for blessing and for judgment.

So, I mean, potentially bricks could lead. I mean, and we've kind of thought this: that bricks could lead up to the destroying of the world economic system. Which would usher in the mark of the beast, correct? That's correct. I mean, but you know, the economically, this is dangerous stuff when we start bringing the threats of like 100% tariffs.

I was actually even reluctant, as you just mentioned, I was even reluctant to send you this thing because I'm thinking this band is so popular now, maybe I ought to just drop this. But there's too many things in here that could go wrong. And as you said, God uses men to accomplish his purpose.

So we'll have to wait and see just what that is. Yes. Excellent stuff, RC. Give us your website again. It's prophecytracker.org.

I will send you the link to this post. Yes, we'll have the post on our website. But if you can't wait and you want to go, prophecytracker.org. RC, thank you so much. We are living in very interesting times, aren't we?

We really are, Jimmy. It just gets more interesting every day. Thanks, RC. Appreciate it. Thank you, Jimmy.

God bless. I hope today, as you have joined with us on the program, that you have learned a few things that are going to help you as you figure out and prioritize the days in which we are living. With everything that we have seen, we can't be very far away from the rapture of the church. Let's keep looking up until. Thank you so much for joining us today.

This is Jay Johnson, inviting you to join us again next week for more of Prophecy Today.